Hoopoe Bird Watching Tours

The general area covered by the bird watching tours is wedge shaped -  Teba and Campillos in the north, Bolonia, La Janda and Tarifa in the west and round to Malaga in the east.  By arrangement this area can be extended to take in the East Bank of the Guadalquivir and the Cadiz lagoons.  In bird watching terms, habitats in this region of Andalucia are broadly divided into the following areas from south to north

• a fragmented shoreline and coastal plain with numerous seasonal estuaries and extensive sand-dunes and slacks, particularly in the west
• an undulating range of foothills and riverine ravines
• various limestone and sandstone sierras
• the peninsular of Gibraltar
• three significant river valleys - the Genal, the Guadiaro and the Guadarranque, which tend to flow north to south and which usually do not dry up in the summer

The flora and fauna is distinctly Mediterranean with a North African flavour, as is the climate, and this combination with the range of eco-systems, provides for a variety of exciting plants, insects, birds and other animals.

Gaucin in central and ideally located to cover this area.   It is quite possible to organise a day trip to sample all the major habitats described.  The area in general and the village region in particular is idea to observe the impressive spring and autumn migrations  to and from Africa.  

Depending on the season most of  the following species could be expected to be observed during an organised bird watching tour:

Black-necked Grebe * Little Bittern * Squacco Heron * Night Heron * Purple Heron * Spoonbill * Greater Flamingo * Marbled Duck * Red-crested Pochard * White-headed Duck * Osprey * Black Kite * Red Kite * Short-toed Eagle * Egyptian Vulture * Griffon Vulture * Montagu's Harrier * Honey Buzzard * Bonelli's Eagle * Booted Eagle * Golden Eagle * Imperial Eagle * Lesser Kestrel * Barbary Partridge * Purple Gallinule * Crested Coot * Crane * Stone Curlew * Little Bustard * Collared Pratincole * Little Plover * Kentish Plover * Audouin's Gull * Slender-billed Gull * Mediterranean Gull * Gull-billed Tern * Black Tern * Whiskered Tern * Monk Parakeet * Rose-ringed Parakeet * Great Spotted Cuckoo * Scops Owl * Eagle Owl * Red-necked Nightjar * White-rumped Swift * Alpine Swift * Pallid Swift * Hoopoe * Bee-eater * Roller * Thekla Lark * Short-toed Lark ( Calandra Lark * Crag Martin * Red-rumped Swallow * Tawny Pipit * Rufous Bushchat * Black Wheatear * Blue Rock Thrush * Savi's Warbler * Great Reed Warbler * Moustached Warbler * Cettie's Warbler * Fan-tailed Warbler * Olivaceous Warbler * Melodious Warbler * Sardinian Warbler * Ophean Warbler * Dartford Warbler * Spectacled Warbler * Bonelli's Warbler * Firecrest * Penduline Tit * Crested Tit * Short-toed Treecreeper * Southern Grey Shrike * Azure-winged Magpie * Chough * Golden Oriole * Spotless Starling * Avadavat * Common Waxbill * Black-rumped Waxbill * Corn Bunting * Rock Bunting * Cirl Bunting * Ortolan Bunting.

This sample is not exhaustive and contains both very common and rare species that are both exotic and unfamiliar to the UK birdwatcher.   Certain species like the Eagle Owl, Marbled Duck, Purple Gallinule, White-rumped Swift and Crested Coot for example would need targeting individually, but a wide range of the species listed could be observed during jointly planned itineraries.

Bird Tour Details
Although varied amounts of walking will occur during visits, the Landrover Discovery 4 x 4 will allow access to a variety of sites that cannot be reached by more conventional vehicles.

The tours can be tailored to the interests and needs of experienced and less experienced bird watchers alike.  With the less experienced bird watchers time can be spent on developing identification skills if required.

Some trips could necessitate very early starts - 5.30/6.00 hours, but this would be discussed beforehand.

Half Day Trips
Local - combinations of  local river(s) limestone gorge(s), mountain, woodland and coastal site(s), etc.
0700 - 13.30  or   15.00 - 21.00 (approximate times).

Price:  50 euros for 1 person and 65 euros for 2/3 persons

Four  Hour Local Trips
for 1/2 sites the cost would be 40 euros  for 1 person and 50 euros  for 2/3 persons

By negotiation I would consider personally leading trips of 2/3 days to the Coto Doñana and Extramadura.

These bird watching trips could include part of the day visiting sites of a  historical and/or cultural nature, or could be part of a day or half days ramble. Specific photography  visits could also be arranged.  Prices would be negotiated.  See section on Moorish Towns and Historical Sites.

These prices include hot/cold drinks during the day, but not food.  The use of binoculars, telescopes and reference material is included in the package.

Any entrance fees or accommodation costs will be the responsibility of the client, but these would only occur for entrance to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, Gibraltar, on guided residential tours and admission to cultural/historical sites on dual purpose trips.

Plants and Animals

The area generally is remarkable for the range of plants and animals, many of them exclusive to this part of the Mediterranean area.  Animals range from the numerous (and often enormous) insects - moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, crickets and praying mantis, through to an impressive range of tree frogs, toads, lizards, snakes, tortoises, turtles and geckoes to bats, otters, Egyptian mongooses, genets, dolphins and whales.

Plant life is no less varied with spectacular displays of spring and autumn flowers.  Spring often being as early as February.  It is the profusion and the colour that is so striking.  The range of soils and habitats plays a crucial role in the diversity of plants as does the very favourable climate.   Flowers range from peonies, delphiniums, various brooms and gorses, mallows, asters and periwinkle through to buglosses, mandrake, daises, narcisi, irises and orchids.

The area will appeal to botanists and non-botanists alike.

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